Interfolding machine



' April ,17, 1928, 1,666,553

P. J. CHRISTMAN INTERFOLDING MACHINE Filed 066. 22. 1927 2 She'efls-Sheet -1 I w ffl v Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica.

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Application filed October 22, 1927. Serial 288,004.

This invention relates to interfolding machines, and is particularly directed to a machine for interfolding sheets of paper which have reviously been folded along two lines at rig 1t angles to each other.

This invention is an improvement over that disclosed in my Patent No; 1,637,550 of August 2, 1927, for interfolding machines, and over the invention disclosed in my c'opending application, Serial N 0. 201,699, filed June 27, 1927, for interfolding m'achines.

In dispensing paper napkins it is the usual practice to quarter fqld the napkins, that is to say, to fold them along two lines at right angles to each other. No satisfactory means has heretofore been devised for interfolding these already folded paper napkins with .the consequence that the napkins are usually stacked one above the other without interfolding and consequently dispensing is difficult. As far as I am aware, no successful machine has been roduced and no successful method evolved or inter- -folding these already folded paper 'napkins.

This invention is designed to provide a machineand a method for first folding the napkin longitudinally, thereafter transversely, and subsequently interfolding this doubly folded napkin so that. it may be stacked in a very compact formand readily dispensed.

A further object ofv this invention is to provide a novel form of interfolded or stacked doubly folded napkin in which the exposed flap is of double thickness only, as distinguished from quadruple thickness.

Further objects are to. provide amachine which will continuously longitudinally fold,

sever, transversely fold and interfold the severed sheets in a highly effective and rapid manner. L

An embodimentof the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings which dia grammatically illustrate the invention I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the entire machine with parts in section; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary and diagrammatic sectional view of the creasing and vacuum rolls for stripping the transversely folded sheets from the'carrier cylinder or roller; p

Figure 3 shows the form of the sheet as it is carried by the carrier-roll;

Figure 4 shows the form of sheet as 1t passes between the creasingvrolls;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the holders and tucker blades in the next stage after that illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 6 shows the successive stage or positionof the parts Figure 7 shows the final stage of the parts.

Referring to the drawings, it will beseen that the paper is fed downwardly in a; sheet 1 which passes over the former plate 2 and which is thus longitudinally creased as it passes between the puller rolls 3. If desired, guide plates 4 ma be ositioned just outside of the edges 0 the ormer plate 2. The longitudinally folded sheet passes to the carrier cylinder orvroll 5 and a cut off roll 6 cooperates with the carrier roll. This cut ,olf roll is provided with a tucker blade 7 adapted to press the longitudinally 'folded sheet into depressions 8 formed in the carrier roll 5. It is also provided with a cut off knife 9 cooperating with cut off slots'10 formed in the carrier roll.

Below the carrierroll, the creasing rolls 7 11 and 12 are positioned. One of the creasing rolls, for example, the roll 12,'is rovided with a suction aperture 13 at w ich vacuum is produced at periodic intervals to grip the sheet and draw it down between I the rolls 11 and 12 in a well known manner. This drawing of the sheet from the carrier roll is shown most clearly in Figure 2.

The apparatus for producing the longitudinal foldmay be such as that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,481,252 of January 22, 1924, for sheet foldin machines, and the creasin rolls maybe 0' the type disclosed in my Fatent No. 1,566,079 of 1925, for rotary sheet folder.

It is to be noted that the paper passes more than half way before "the suction ecember 15,

, aperture 13 withdraws the paper from the carrier roll, as shown in Figure 2, so that the I fold is not made transversely directly in the center of the severed and longitudinali folded sheet, but is so made that approxlmately two-thirds of the'finall folded sheet is of quadruple thicknes, an one-third of doublecthickness, as is apparent from Fig ure 1; This showing in Figure l'discloses the double thickness as a single line .for the reason that the folded edge of the paper is presented towards the observer. This same mode of showing is followed in Fi and 7,to avoid'needless complication and to make the showin consistent.

The doubly olded :sheet passes downres 5, 6,

wardly between the guideways 14 to the interfolding mechanism. This interfolding A mechanism may comprise a stationary holder l provided with'a front lip 15 and a movable holder 16, provided with a front lip suitable manner as by means of the rack 17 and the pinion 18, the pinion being actuated 1% a rack bar 19 connected with a crank 20. he crank 20 is carried by the shaft 21 which is connected by suitable gearing, as set forth in'my above noted patents and applications, with a main shaft 22 which car ries a main cam 23. This main cam actue ates the tucker blade arms or levers 24 and 25 and preferably through the medium of the cam followers or rollers 24' and 25 carried by the respective levers. These tucker blade levers are provided with tucker blades 26 and 27 which will hereinafter be referred to as the 11 per and lower tucker blades, although this mode of describing them is employed merely for simplicity, and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

From the description thus far given, it will be seen that the doubly folded sheets pass down the guides 14 to the holders 1-5 and 16, and that these sheets are folded both longitudinally and transversely. The transverse fold is such that it leaves a free or extended lip, as may be clearly seen from Figures 1, 5, 6, and 7. After the sheet has 'arrived at the position shown in Fi re 1, the bottom holder 16 travels inwar l as shown in Figure 5. The position 0 the parts are now'as shown in Figure 5 with the upper tucker blade 26 in its raised position. The lower tucker blade 27 rises and tucks the sheet in back of the lip 15' of the upper holder, as shown in Fi ure 6, and. at the same time, the end of the s eet or tail of the sheet is swept from the guide. There-.

after, the bottom. tucker blade descends and the holder 16 moves outwardly and the upper tucker blade begins to descend, as shown m Figure 7 This extends the outer or lip end of the sheet outwardly, as shown 1n such figure, and as the upper tucker blade 26 completes its downward motion a new sheet is slid into place along the guides 14, as shown in Figure 1. p

The result of this mode of folding or mode of operation is to produce an interfolded package in which la ers, A, B, C, see Figures 5 to 7) are pro need. It is to e noted that the layer A is of double thickness and the layers B and C are of quadruple thickness, 1t being understood as previously explained that the single line showing in Figures 1 to 7, is due to the fact that the o server is looking at the folded edge of the longitudinall folded sheet. Further, it will be note that the thinnest layer A is interposed between two quadruple thickness neeaeee always the double ply layer, not the quadruple ply layer. This gives greater flexibility and permits easier withdrawal of this extended portion and consequently of the entire folded napkin. The withdrawal of the folded napkin from a container'obviouslywithdraws or projects the extended double ply layer of the, succeeding napkin.

It-will be seen that a novel form of interfoldiiig machine has been provided in which the napkins are folded longitudinally and transversely and are thereafter interfolded in a novel mannerto provide a stack of napkins having interfolded portions and so arranged that they may be placed in an ordinary dispenser and may be easily withdrawn therefrom.

It will be seen further that the machine is relatively simple and is reliable in operat1on.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting as the invention ma be variously embodied and as the scope 0 such invention is to be determined as claimed. a

I claim:

1. In a machine for producin a multifolded ackageof paper,the com ination of means or initially foldin the web longitudinally, means for severm the web into strips, mechanism for foldmg the severed strips transversel and means for interfolding the previous y folded strips to form a continuous packa e, consisting of engaged units, the last fol of each unit being over: lapped by a portion of the succeeding unit.

2. In a machine for producing a multifolded package of paper, means for ini-- tially folding a web, means web into strlps, mechanism foldin' the severed strips, 'interfo ding the previously folded strips, consistingof opposed tucker blades, a stationary holder, a movable holder, means cofo'r transversely .operatin I therewith for again folding the previous y folded strips to form a continuconsisting of engaged units, the of each unit being overlapped by unit.

"andme'ans for the character dea folder for severing the 4. In a folding machine of the character described, the combination of a main frame, means for initially folding a web, means for cutting the web into strips, means for transversely foldin the severed strips, means for interfolding the previously folded strips to form a continuous package composed of units, the last leaf of which is overlapped by a portion of the succeeding unit.

5. In amachine for interfolding paper, the. combinationof means for folding a strip of paper longitudinally, a carrier roll for receiving the longitudinally folded paper, means cooperating with the carrier roll for severinv the paper into sheets, creasing rolls for withdrawing the paper from the carrier roll and for transversely folding the paper, a stationary holder and a reciprocatory holder adapted to receive the transversely folded sheets, a pair of tucker blades mounted on opposite sides of said holders, and means for reciprocating said reciprocatory tucker blades to interfold the transversely and longitudinally folded sheets, whereby a stack of interfolded sheets is formed.

6. The method of producing'a paper package comprising longitudinally folding a sheet of paper, sever in the aper 'into lengths, transversely f0 ding the severed folding a strip of paper, a carrier roll for receiving the longitudinally folded strip, a

between the cutter roll for severing the strips into 1e gths, a pair of creasing rolls having means for withdrawing the sheets from the carrier roll and forming a transverse crease at a point spacedfrom the center of the sheet, whereby a quadruple ply and a double ply is formed, and means for interfolding the transversely folded sheets and producing a fold in t e quadruple ply and a fold in the double ply with the double ply in serted between the quadruple plies of a succeeding sheet. 7

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Green Bay, in the county of Brown and State of Wisconsin. 1

' PETER J. CHRISTMAN. 

